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Top 10 Craft Room Must-Haves

Ever wonder what the top ten craft supplies are that our craft room divas use every day here at Michaels? Let’s take a peek behind the curtain and see which items they can’t get enough of.

#10: Card Stock. It may seem ho-hum, but card stock has a ton of uses. Use it to trace and cut out patterns, decoupage it to canvas to add a pop of color or as a simple base for your paper craft creation! Card Stock comes in varying weights and sizes, so choose the few that work best for your projects, and keep a wide variety of colors and textures in your stash.

#9: Paint. This is a basic staple, but the right paint for your projects is key! Knowing which type to use (Acrylic, Spray, Oil, Gloss, Enamel, etc.) is not only essential to get the desired result in your project, but also saves you re-do time. Not quite sure where to start? Most brands have starter sets you can pick up which will let you test out paint on your surfaces. Don’t forget to pick up a few different types of paint brushes to use with your paint samples.

#8: X-ACTO® Knife.

Getting the detail you want in your projects can be done with the right precision cutting knife. There are many on the market today, and all are great for cutting many types of lightweight materials.

#7: Tape Runner. Ever wonder how we get that perfect strip of glitter on a project? Or how we make ribbons perfectly stay in place without showing where we glued it? Glue without the mess by using a tape runner. These little devices come in all sorts of adhesive strengths and styles, from actual tape to dots, permanent and removable. Use it to attach paper, ribbon, trim and glitter to almost any surface!

#5: Ribbon. Use it as a trim, a finishing touch or to hide that little “mistake”. (Of course, there are no mistakes in crafting, only happy accidents!). Keep a few of your favorite ribbon styles and colors on hand to use in a pinch. And, don’t forget about specialty ribbons, like Jute or Tulle.

#4. OttLite®. This is a gem! OttLites® create low heat, low glare natural light that provides energy efficient true color results. Alright, enough of the sales pitch – you want one of these! It’s the best craft light we’ve ever found, bright enough to light up your work, but it doesn’t get hot and you can use it for hours. And, there are tons of styles, everything from pretty floor style to industrial looking craft table ones and everything in between.

#3: Liquitex® Gel Medium . Every time we ask Kathy Kromer about decoupage, or glue or some sort of all-purpose medium to do crafting with, the first thing she says is “Liquitex® Gel Medium”. She can’t get enough of this stuff, and neither can we. It’s used for everything from a transfer medium, to glue, and even top coat varnish! And not just on canvas, we’ve seen her pull this stuff out on chargers, wood plaques, candles, you name it, she’s using Liquitex Gel Medium on it! Check out Kathy using it on this easy canvas background project.

#2: Glue Gun. Yes, the simple glue gun is of course a craft room staple. For most products, a low-heat gun is perfect, but for those projects you need a bit more stick to, try a high-temp model. They are now even available in beautiful patterns and colors to match your craft personality!

#1: Sharpies®. Our top item every craft room must have: Sharpie Markers. They are perfect for everything from drawing on your child’s lunch sack, to writing love notes, detail lettering or just making your mark. They come in all sorts of colors, and even metallic and neon! Pick up some to keep in your craft room and your all-purpose drawer.

Nice to know! My top 10 is a little different but it’s also changing during the time :).

http://www.michaels.com Cara

Thanks! Post your top ten in the comments if you want. Everyone has something in their craft room they can’t live without. Mine – Zip Dry Paper Glue. Love, love, love that stuff!

Edie

I have had problems with the Zip Dry Paper Glue. I use it a couple times and the next time my bottle has dried up. This has happened to me twice. How do you prevent it from drying up?

Thanks for your help.

http://www.emeraldcityaz.us Kail

My top ten is quite a bit different, haha. I shop all the time for cone spikes here (although you don’t have a wide variety, so I go on eBay a lot for them), E6000 is my best friend, spray E6000 is even better. Jump rings, pendants, brooches, satin, glitter, fabric dye and of course, thread :)